Meta aldermen at their December meeting took another step to make it easier for customers to pay their water bills with approval to accept debit/credit card payments for utility bills.

There is no cost to the city for the program through CourtMoney, which does charge a convenience fee of $2 for up to a $50 payment, or 4% of the balance for anything over $50.

Customers who make payments by phone will be charged an additional $5 per transaction.

City Clerk Deidra Buechter explained that CourtMoney has requested a one-year contract.

Alderman Steve Sherrell asked if there had been customers requesting online payments.

“A lot of the younger people don’t even have checks,” said Sherrell.

Buechter said newer residents in the community have asked specifically about such options, but until now, that has not been possible.

All transactions are reported to the city, and the funds deposited directly. Buechter for the first two weeks will have to manually enter the information into the SUBS system, but after that, those transactions will be automatically entered.

Helton is hoping to add information and links to the city’s website, and suggested a note on the January bill noting that the site is a work in progress and hopes to offer this option soon.

In other business, Buechter told aldermen there were a few customers with significant past-due bills, and to address the issue of unpaid utility bills moving forward, aldermen plan to file property liens as necessary.

Buechter explained the city already has an ordinance on the books which allows for this action. This would apply to individuals who are more than 45 days late, whose water has been shut off, and that the city cannot reach.

The $27 filing fee would be added to the customer’s bill, and a fee of $27 to release the lien would also be collected from the customer.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Helton. “We don’t really have anything to lose, and we haven’t been successful in getting the money to this point.”

Buechter said that she learned at a recent Missouri Rural Water conference that other municipalities use this approach, not only for the collection of water fees, but for other issues such as unkempt property or nuisance issues.

Alderman Otto Wankum said he would like to see how the city’s ordinances are written regarding nuisances to determine whether the same approach can be used to make it a cleaner operation.

Buechter will provide that information at the January meeting.

* Aldermen discussed a DNR-mandated update to the city’s ordinance on the reduction of lead in drinking water, which lowers the maximum lead content of wetted surfaces of plumbing products such as pipes, pipe-fittings, plumbing fittings and fixtures from 8% to a weighted average of .25%.

Final adoption will be considered at the January meeting.

* Following a discussion in November regarding the development a sidewalk along Rt. B toward the Bee Line convenience store, Treasurer Mary Plassmeyer said she and Buechter contacted the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

According to the Transportation Division of MoDOT, sidewalks are not added to highway right-of-ways, but there is a program called Transportation Alternative Program (TAP), which could provide some options.

Through Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), the city can apply for grant funding from federal sources that can be used for a sidewalk via private property easements, should the city secure those. A total of six easements would be needed to complete the project, Mayor Harold Libbert noted.

A survey map of the area will be provided to show where MoDOT’s right-of-ways end, and the next application opportunity through MRPC is in August of 2020.

Libbert asked which side of the highway would be best suited for a sidewalk.

Alderman Ivie Helton said the problem with a sidewalk on the south side is that people would have to cross the highway. “At what point could they safely do that with traffic coming down the hill?” Helton asked. “It seems from a safety perspective better to have the sidewalk on the same side as the businesses.”

Aldermen agreed to further pursue the options through TAP and MRPC.

* Sherrell suggested the city get bid specs out for street paving as soon as possible to ensure the project is expediently handled. This year’s project was not done because the winning bidder, Higgins Asphalt, did not complete the bid process, according to Sherrell, who said the bid specs for that project are still valid and can be advertised sooner rather than later.

The plan is to advertise by late January or early February.

WATER UPDATE

Libbert in his role as chief water operator said Dollar General has not provided easement information to allow for the installation of a water main. He hopes to have a resolution soon. Otherwise, Libbert said there are no major issues of concern.

* Buechter  reported 966,908 gallons of water were pumped during the month of November, with 453,950 gallons sold, 200,000 gallons flushed, and 150,000 gallons leaked, leaving 162,958 gallons of water lost, or 16.85%.

* As of Dec. 5, a total of $3,083.96 in water sales were recorded, with $1,070.53 charged for trash,  and $87.95 in sales tax. Total charges were $4,403.36 with a previous balance due of $160.92 and payments received in the amount of $3,742.45, leaving a balance due the city of $660.91.

* Buechter said the annual review per ordinance for water rates is coming up, and suggested aldermen consider options, though that does not mean rates need to be increased. Rates haven’t been increased since 2013. Buechter added that Missouri Rural Water conducts rate studies, and that may be an option for the city.

* With the installation of new water meters, the company is willing to buy the old meters, Buechter noted, which can be applied as a credit toward the bill or presented as a direct payment. Aldermen decided it would be better to receive a payment for record-keeping purposes.

Aldermen noted that some of the newer residential meters should be retained for temporary replacement in the event of a problem, but agreed that most could be sold.

FINANCIAL NEWS

In her regular monthly financial report, Plassmeyer noted that total available cash on hand, including two certificates of deposit, one in the amount of $51,261.77 and another with a balance of $121,185.84, was $810,891.72, according to Doerhoff Accounting, which provides the city its account information. A total of $7,755.97 in checks were written in November.

Last month, Plassmeyer told the board there was nearly a $20,000 discrepancy between the balance indicated by Doerhoff and the balance shown by Mid America Bank.

After checking with Doerhoff, Plassmeyer said an error had been made, which has been corrected to show a fund balance of $494,054.62, which is closer to the actual balance due to outstanding checks that have not cleared the bank.

With a beginning balance of $493,589.52, income/deposits totaled $12,510.49 and debits totaled $8,319.92 for a balance on hand of $497,780.09 in the operating fund; the money market balance was $139,682.02; and the escrow account totaled $910.

* The next meeting of the board will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8.